Back in the 1990s at the Engine Works building at Capp and 17th, B-boys danced, the Mission Burrito Project passed out food to the homeless, and members of the Mission School art movement hung out, including photographer David Schubert and artist Margaret Kilgallen, who painted a mural in the building (it’s since been removed).
Fast forward two decades and the converted warehouse was still an arts scene: The beach goth band The Growlers performed secret concerts, punk rock bands recorded albums, and bike messengers idled between deliveries.
Using the space now are an artist who paints sideshows and city life, a mechanical engineer who builds lighting contraptions with LEDs, and a DJ who creates digital art to be projected during performances.
But now that legacy is threatened. The artists who live at Engine Works were recently notified that they are being evicted under the Ellis Act, which allows property owners to exit the rental market and displace their tenants in the process.
“This place has always been home to groups of alternative kids,” said Sean Newport, who has lived in the building since 2010 and currently uses studio space to make 3D geometric art out of painted wood. He recently painted “Artists Live Here” on the outside of the warehouse in large, black block letters.
Engine Works is located in an industrial pocket of the Mission, but inside the warm lighting and wooden walls give it a homey feel. Persian rugs cover worn floors and the walls are decorated with eclectic art (including several of Newport’s pieces). Flowers and plants lie on every surface, with some corrugated metal from the building’s skeleton poking through on the walls. For $5,000 a month, three people live there and two rent studio space, though several tenants have already left ahead of the eviction.
Kent Putnam, a car dealership owner, bought the building in December 2023, and according to Newport, plans to turn the building into an ashram for hosting yoga retreats. Newport said that Ananta Chaitanya Das, a monk at the yoga studio Bhakti SF, walked through the space before it was bought and is already using the second floor — Newport says he can hear them chanting.
“We don’t need an ashram. We need more creative people living and thriving in San Francisco,” Newport said. He said he plans to get legal representation to fight the eviction and has nowhere else to go if he is kicked out. “I don’t want to be homeless,” he said.
Putnam and Das did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Gentrification and safety
But the artists’ residency faces another problem. The Engine Works building, a warehouse with a corrugated metal exterior, might not be meant for habitation. Three complaints filed with the city in 2016 and 2018 allege that the building has been illegally used for living instead of commercial purposes. The complaints also describe blocked exits, construction work done without permitting, and hazardous electrical work.
The complaints were investigated by the Department of Building Inspection and ended with the city posting “orders of abatement,” which means that some violation has occurred and needs to be addressed.
Artists living in informal housing is nothing new: Numerous now-legal artist spaces across the city, including Project Artaud and Developing Environments, started through people illegally occupying studio spaces offering affordable rent.
Such informal living arrangements used to be very common in the city, said Debra Walker, a police commissioner and longtime San Francisco artist who lives in Developing Environments, but successive waves of gentrification have slowly displaced artists, who can’t afford to live and work elsewhere.
“There are fewer people occupying these kinds of buildings now than five years ago, 10 years ago because the owners wanted to use them for industrial or business or tech or whatever,” Walker said.
Plus, illegally occupied buildings can be dangerous to live in because they don’t have all of the required safety features for residences. In Oakland in 2016, 36 people died in a fire at the Ghost Ship, a warehouse zoned for industrial uses, not residential or entertainment purposes. The artists’ collective living in that building had been hosting a concert with around 100 guests.
Following the fire, many owners of warehouse buildings evicted residents due to safety concerns, Walker said, adding that evictions are not “just people greedy to get more money out of the building.”
According to Newport, after Ghost Ship Engine Works residents living in the basement were made to leave, but residents on the first floor were allowed to stay.
The city also worked with artists to try and improve the safety of spaces similar to Ghost Ship in San Francisco. “Whenever there’s a Ghost Ship fire or something like that they become proactive and go figure out what’s going on in their district,” Walker said.
It is possible to make informal living arrangements legal, though — but only if the building owner is supportive. The owner must file paperwork with the city and retrofit the building to make it safe to live in, which is often costly.
According to Newport, the previous owners of Engine Works had started the process to change the site’s permitting to allow both residency and working space, but during the pandemic those plans fell apart.
“We were paying rent through Covid with the hope that they were going to make our space legitimate. And then they put a For Sale sign up,” Newport said.
‘Artistic integrity’
Since he moved into Engine Works, Newport has amassed sweat equity in the building: He has spent his own money and time renovating the space. “It was a piece of crap when we got the place, but we fixed it up, we made it a home,” Newport said, explaining that he had paid for plumbing and electrical work.
“It took me a lot of work, a lot of energy, and a lot of my money to maintain and facilitate this space. I can’t just turn around and start it again,” he said. “I don’t know if I even have the energy to start another community like I did before.”
Newport’s fight against eviction has been long in the making. In June 2023, when Putnam was considering buying the space, Newport organized a petition signed by 336 Mission artists and residents urging him to consider finding a different building in the Mission for the ashram in or make accommodations so the existing tenants could stay.
“I met with my house, I met with my neighbors and they were all very adamant like ‘Sean, we need to fight for this because if this building goes, there’s like five other art spaces on our block,’” Newport said. “They want us to fight it because if we’re going to get it, then they’re going to definitely get it next.”
Calisto Bertin, a former resident, rented space to use as a recording and practice studio in the building in 2012, producing demos of electronic music and learning about traditional music production. At the time, several other bands and artists were also making music in the building.
“I think it really helped me thrive as an artist, knowing that I could just walk into this space at any time and have the ear of a couple people who have great artistic integrity,” he said.
Even after Bertin gave up his studio space, the connections formed there remained — he kept his motorcycle at Engine Works, and whenever he was in the Mission he would pop by to hang out. “It wasn’t just unique to me,” Bertin added. “Anyone who had put in time there was generally welcome whenever.”
The building has been a community anchor. Newport remembers throwing a “Inside Lands during Outside Lands” party in 2012, where multiple buildings housing artists on the block teamed up and opened up their spaces, attracting crowds that filled the streets.
Bertin said the gentrification-fueled displacement was ironic — many of the newcomers to San Francisco originally came for its artistic culture. “It’s kind of like the snake eating its tail,” he said.
Eden Santoro, another former resident, agreed. “I feel like the city itself is kind of trying to capitalize on the history that it has as a place that is welcoming to artists, but I don’t know how much longer it will be able to do that if artists can’t afford to live there,” Santoro said.
Santoro now manages a band called Sell Farm. In February, when Santoro stayed at the Engine Works while in San Francisco with Sell Farm, Newport broke the news about his pending eviction.
“He told me in the morning. I’d just woken up and was making breakfast and sat down at the table and he was like, ‘Hey, we’re getting evicted.’ And both of us just cried at the table,” Santoro said. “It just felt like there was nothing we could do to solve this problem.”
“It’s heartbreaking,” Santoro added. “I think of all the people that will not be able to be a part of this in the future.”
About the author
‘Like a teddy bear’: Bob Lee’s friends testify to drug use, character
Two former colleagues and friends of Cash App founder Bob Lee testified today that while the homicide victim used drugs, Lee was not aggressive or erratic. The testimony countered a narrative from his alleged killer that Lee first drew the knife that killed him. Nima Momeni, the man on trial for Lee’s murder, has testified that Lee attacked him with a kitchen knife over a “bad joke,” about spending more time with his family rather than going to a strip club and that Momeni redirected the weapon toward Lee. Momeni’s defense team rested its case earlier this week. Prosecutors today called three rebuttal witnesses to testify to Lee’s character, as well as a San Francisco police captain intended to discredit a former sergeant who on Tuesday testified in support of the plausibility of Momeni’s self-defense claim. Kristina Champion, who worked with Lee when […]
Over 900 mobile home owners in Sweetwater, Florida handed move-out notices amid plans to transform park
Over 900 mobile home owners in Sweetwater, Florida handed move-out notices amid plans to transform park Residents of Li'l Abner Mobile Home Park in Sweetwater, Florida, were recently notified that they'll need to find somewhere else to live and quickly. The community of more than 900 mobile homes, together housing roughly 2,000 to 3,000 people per the mayor's estimate, will close in May 2025 to make way for new affordable and workforce housing. Mobile home owners usually own the home but rent the land it stands on. The land owner in this case, CREI Holdings, says it will provide a financial incentive of $14,000 to residents who leave by January 31, 2025. Those who leave by March 31 or April 30, will receive $7,000 and $3,000, respectively, though many tenants say it's not enough time or money, according to a […]
Judge denies motion to ease house arrest of Jon Jacobo
A San Francisco judge on Thursday denied a motion to loosen the home detention conditions forJon Jacobo, a once-rising star in San Francisco’s politics who was arrested on Aug. 5 for alleged sexual assault. “The motion is denied to the extent that it asks for relief from home detention and [ankle] monitoring,” said San Francisco Superior Court judge Kenneth Wine this morning. “It’s the seriousness of the charges that’s really driving my decision. There are a number of victims with very serious charges.”Jacobo, a longtime Mission District community leader, was first publicly accused of rape in 2021. This April, he resigned from his executive position at affordable-housing developer TODCO, soon after three women accused him of rape and abuse in a San Francisco Standard story. He was arrested on Aug. 5, 2024. Jacobo today showed up in the courtroom in casual clothes […]
Pam Bondi named as new AG pick after Gaetz drops out
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for attorney general, said Thursday he is withdrawing his name for the role -- just a day after Gaetz spoke with Republican senators on Capitol Hill about the nomination process.Trump has named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, as his new pick for the role.Another controversial Cabinet pick, Pete Hegseth, is on the Hill on Thursday with Vice President-elect JD Vance to make his case for the secretary of the Department of Defense job.Meanwhile, Trump continues to announce his picks for top jobs inside his administration.Latest DevelopmentsNov 21, 6:56 PMTrump nominates Pam Bondi as new AG pickTrump has nominated Pam Bondi as his new pick for attorney general, after Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration earlier Thursday.Bondi is the former attorney general of Florida, serving from 2011 to 2019 and marking […]
Mission Local bags two Society of Professional Journalists awards
This here publication last week took home two more awards from the Northern California branch of the Society of Professional Journalists for in-depth coverage and analysis of the sort you expect — and demand — of us. Senior editor Joe Rivano Barros and former data reporter Will Jarrett were honored in the “Explanatory Journalism” category for the mammoth effort of tracing and documenting the Russian dolls-like series of interconnected organizations funneling billionaires’ dollars into San Francisco politics. Joe Rivano Barros, who with Will Jarrett won for the Big Money SF work. Photo by Abigail Van NeelyThe series, titled “BigMoneySF,” included Rivano Barros’ profile of Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, the largest donor over the last several election cycles, and Jarrett’s interactive chart, a stunning accomplishment requiring months of work unearthing reams of financial data structured in a manner so as to render it […]
US airline flight crews confident and angry as unions seek richer contracts
By Rajesh Kumar Singh CHICAGO (Reuters) - Alaska Airlines flight attendant Rebecca Owens works 10 hours a day but only gets paid for half that time - a legacy of a common U.S. airline policy to pay cabin crew members only when planes are in motion. Owens, and thousands of cabin crew like her, wants that to change. In August, 68% of Alaska flight attendants in a ratification vote rejected a contract that would have increased average pay by 32% over three years. It was also the first labor agreement that would have legally required airlines to start the clock for paying flight attendants when passengers are boarding, not when the flight starts to taxi down the runway. Delta Air Lines, the only major U.S. airline whose flight attendants are not in a union, instituted boarding pay for its flight […]
Related
‘Like a teddy bear’: Bob Lee’s friends testify to drug use, character
Two former colleagues and friends of Cash App founder Bob Lee testified today that while the homicide victim used drugs, Lee was not aggressive or erratic. The testimony countered a narrative from his alleged killer that Lee first drew the knife that killed him. Nima Momeni, the man on trial for Lee’s murder, has testified that Lee attacked him with a kitchen knife over a “bad joke,” about spending more time with his family rather than going to a strip club and that Momeni redirected the weapon toward Lee. Momeni’s defense team rested its case earlier this week. Prosecutors today called three rebuttal witnesses to testify to Lee’s character, as well as a San Francisco police captain intended to discredit a former sergeant who on Tuesday testified in support of the plausibility of Momeni’s self-defense claim. Kristina Champion, who worked with Lee when […]
Judge denies motion to ease house arrest of Jon Jacobo
A San Francisco judge on Thursday denied a motion to loosen the home detention conditions forJon Jacobo, a once-rising star in San Francisco’s politics who was arrested on Aug. 5 for alleged sexual assault. “The motion is denied to the extent that it asks for relief from home detention and [ankle] monitoring,” said San Francisco Superior Court judge Kenneth Wine this morning. “It’s the seriousness of the charges that’s really driving my decision. There are a number of victims with very serious charges.”Jacobo, a longtime Mission District community leader, was first publicly accused of rape in 2021. This April, he resigned from his executive position at affordable-housing developer TODCO, soon after three women accused him of rape and abuse in a San Francisco Standard story. He was arrested on Aug. 5, 2024. Jacobo today showed up in the courtroom in casual clothes […]
Mission Local bags two Society of Professional Journalists awards
This here publication last week took home two more awards from the Northern California branch of the Society of Professional Journalists for in-depth coverage and analysis of the sort you expect — and demand — of us. Senior editor Joe Rivano Barros and former data reporter Will Jarrett were honored in the “Explanatory Journalism” category for the mammoth effort of tracing and documenting the Russian dolls-like series of interconnected organizations funneling billionaires’ dollars into San Francisco politics. Joe Rivano Barros, who with Will Jarrett won for the Big Money SF work. Photo by Abigail Van NeelyThe series, titled “BigMoneySF,” included Rivano Barros’ profile of Neighbors for a Better San Francisco, the largest donor over the last several election cycles, and Jarrett’s interactive chart, a stunning accomplishment requiring months of work unearthing reams of financial data structured in a manner so as to render it […]
‘Slow Streets, Fast Friends’ mural comes to 20th St. in the Mission
Sign up below to get Mission Local’s free newsletter, a daily digest of news you won’t find elsewhere. Josue Rojas hovers in the air above the ground, gingerly balancing his stomach on a stool while holding his paintbrush in one hand, face towards the asphalt. He says it’s better than being on all fours. “It’s particularly brutal work,” says Rojas. “I’m on my knees six to eight hours a day and, now that I’m in my mid-40s, it’s not that easy to bear.” Rojas has spent the past week working between bursts of rain to create a street mural on 20th and Florida streets for the “Slow Streets, Fast Friends” project of the SF Parks Alliance nonprofit, which commissions murals on slow streets throughout the city.The mural was finished this past weekend, and now adorns the block where Atlas Cafe, the Southern […]
SFMTA board approves new Valencia bikeway—but few are happy
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board unanimously approved the new curbside Valencia Street bike lane on Tuesday, and admitted that the transit agency should have been more cautious with experiments in merchant corridors.That experiment — a bike lane running up the center of the street — had pitted transit advocates against shopkeepers. Now cyclists and the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association were finally on the same page: Neither were fans of the new design.“The [merchants association] cannot officially support the side-running bike lane,” said Manny Yekutiel, president of the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association, which has fought the old design. Yekutiel was one of dozens who spoke up in the three-hour-long meeting held at City Hall.Yekutiel, echoing long-held concerns from merchants against streetscape changes, said the new design will get rid of a lot of the parking spots on Valencia Street. […]
Banderas flags
Banderas flags Source: missionlocal.org
